Evaluation of graduate education in advanced practice nursing

Background Master’s degree programmes prepare nurses for the advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) role. There is a paucity of research on how educational programmes fulfil academic preparation for practice. Moreover, the... [ view full abstract ]

Background
Master’s degree programmes prepare nurses for the advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) role. There is a paucity of research on how educational programmes fulfil academic preparation for practice. Moreover, the quality and outcomes of programmes is not documented. Effective and flexible curricula are needed to prepare students for the advanced practice role. Evaluation of educational programmes is crucial to ensure they are fit for purpose.

Aim
The aim of the study was to evaluate course participants’ perceptions of the quality of a master degree in advanced practice nursing, to determine their abilities and understanding of advanced practice and their educational preparation for the advanced practice role.

Method
A postal survey of graduates in a third level college in Ireland was undertaken with a response rate of 51%. The quasi-experimental study utilised the Outcomes Evaluation Questionnaire (OEQ) and Programme Course Evaluation Questionnaire (PCEQ). The authors’ university granted ethical approval for the study. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (V.16.0). Using a retrospective pre-test method, respondents rated their understanding and ability related to the content of the programme

Findings
The findings indicate that the programme played a pivotal role and provided a sound educational basis for graduates to establish advanced nurse practitioner posts. Approximately 50% were in established Registered ANP posts and findings identify how the programme enabled access to promotion. Lack of both support and funding were identified as the greatest barriers to progression. The value of the clinical focus of the programme is evident in the articulated ability to develop autonomous clinical roles.

Conclusion
Educational programmes are designed to enable and prepare ANPs to provide expert client care. The results from this evaluation indicate that the ANP can make an important contribution to healthcare delivery within a people-centered and rapidly changing healthcare environment. In particular this study demonstrates that appropriate education allows the ANP to provide autonomous care, to meet the many challenges ahead and to quantify their contribution in outcomes research.